The instant invention is in the field of monomers and polymers based on a mixture of cis and trans 1,3- and 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol and methods to produce such mixtures.
Radiation cured (typically free radical UV light photopolymerization) coatings and inks are widely used in the coatings and printing industry. Radiation cured coating and ink formulations based on prior art cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylates provide excellent end-use properties for the cured coating (such as hardness and strength) but such formulations are difficult to use because the cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylates are solid materials at room temperature and often are insoluble in most acrylates. Liquid coating and ink formulations based on ethoxylated or propoxylated cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylates are known but the resulting coating has poorer end use properties. It would be an advance in the art of coating and ink formulations based on cyclohexane dimethanol chemistry if such formulations were discovered that were both liquid at room temperature and provided improved end use properties for the resulting coating.